I've read a few of Betina Krahn's newer novels, but I was curious when I came upon this opportunity to read something a bit older than what I'm used to. Three Night's with the Princess is definitely a good book, but I wished Thera could've been a bit more amicable and less ninny-ish. There were some areas in the book where the author could've expanded a bit more with a few jests and such, but not bad. I do recommend a romance reader to take this journey.

This novel did not resonate with me. I am not sure why as I usually enjoy historical romances. The characters and setting did not give me the escapist feel I expect when reading romance.

Saxxe Rouen is a nobleman’s younger son sent off to make his living as a warrior fighting for the King, but time and circumstance made him into a landless mercenary. Crown Princess Thera of Mercia must marry before she can become Queen, but she’s reluctant to wed. She travels to get a closer look at the Duc, the man she’s thinking of marring, and ends up in the middle of brutish mercenaries destroying the town she’s visiting.
Mercenary Saxxe Rouen has better things to do than fight a crowd of drunken brutes that is until he hears a shrilling woman scream and decides to go rescue the demoiselle in distress and earn himself a reward. He doesn’t bargain for Thera, she quite the feisty beauty and he decides to bargain for another kind of reward from wants the fiery Thera to spend one night in his bed. She doesn’t want to honor her bargain with the barbarian so she escapes and he rescues her again, the attraction continues to grow and she agrees to have Saxxe escort her safely to her home. A captivating story of a strong will Princess and the barbarian who keeps rescuing her and wining nights of pleasure. Unbeknownst to Saxxe when the Princess spends seven nights with a man he is then considered her mate and her King. I loved this rewrite of the Princess and the Barbarian. It was filled with adventure, romance and enough intrigue to keep you up at night reading not able to put the book down! This is my honest opinions is resolved to build a school for ladies in after I voluntarily read a copy of this book that was provided to me with no requirements for a review.

re-issue of earlier book. Adventuress, old school, alpha male, feisty female, peaceful,secret kingdom. Wanted to slap hero a few times.

Rating 1/5

This was a reissue of a 1993 novel (titled The Princess and the Barbarian) by Betina Krahn.

This novel should have stayed in 1993 - it was way too boring for me and the romance did not improve at all. Starting off bad from the start, I expected an amazing adventure when Thera begins her journey, especially when brave Saxxe comes into play, but unfortunately it fell dead. Thera was too much of a princess - spoiled, childish and immature. Saxxe was a bit more developed as a well-traveled, worn, tired gent but maybe because of that (*old age*?) he had no excitement for me. I did not feel that they were meant for each other as soul mates of romance novels are destined to be. It could be because of the writing back in 1993 isn't what it is today - so I could be biased in that sense (in which case, this bad review is more on me than the book itself).

A Princess needing a husband and a Knight for Hire rescuing her from danger. How much more perfect can it be? Princess Thera of Mercia knows she must marry soon. On a journey far from home she gets into the middle of a fight and Saxxe Rouen, a mercenary saves her from the danger. He soon realizes she needs protection to get home and he names his price he feels is a bargain. One night of passion in exchange for his service. Surely she would not agree?
This was really a classic Medieval romance reminiscent of books I read long ago. But it did deliver the hero and heroine finding a strong attraction to each other. Saxxe felt like he could never be good enough for Thera but you never know!

Crown Princess Thera of Aric needs a husband before she can be queen. Her counselors thinks she needs a husband, now. There are dark prophecies that affect the whole kingdom of she doesn't. When Thera and her chaperone, Countess Lillith, go to another city to meet someone who could become her King if she likes him. She sees him and he will not do at all. She and Lillith leave, they are captured by Barbarians. Saxxe and his friend, both soldiers for hire, rescue them. Neither one knows that Thera is a Princess. They agree to help Thera and Lillith get home, for a price. So many things happen before and after they arrive at the Kingdom. Will Saxxe and Thera care enough about each other to marry so she will become Queen. Lots of action, adventure and Barbarians. Will Thera survive a kidnapping? So much action that it can't all be put in a review. It is also, a love story and has steamy sex scenes. I received this book from Net Galley and Kensington Books for a honest review and no compensation otherwise.

This is a reissue of a 1993 novel by Betina Krahn, with a name change from The Princess And The Barbarian. I’m not sure why they bothered with the renaming, because much was made of Saxxe the hero’s ‘barbarian’ status - he was basically described exactly like Arnold Schwarzenegger as Conan, down to the crossed leather straps over his naked chest, deerskin breeches and fur boots. Thera, on the other hand, spent the entire story dressed in white silk, a mark of her incredibly high status, as only the super-rich could afford servants enough to keep white clothing clean in medieval times.

Saxxe was actually a very nuanced character; born a lord’s younger son, he was basically sent off to earn his keep as a warrior for the king, and time and circumstance made him into a landless mercenary. Thera represents a seemingly-unreachable dream for him, a true lady, one deserving of his protection. Still, years of mercenary instincts aren’t easily put aside, and when he realises Thera needs his protection to get home, he offers a bargain he’s sure she’ll refuse - a night of passion in exchange for his escort!

Saxxe had an amusing sidekick in Gasquar, though I thought there were some missed opportunities for great one-liners - when Saxxe turns down a fortune in silver offered in exchange for the bargain Thera made with him and Gasquar said nothing I found myself blinking in surprise. Gasquar was getting nothing at all for his efforts, and Saxxe didn’t even check with him before turning down the money in favour of getting laid? Some friend.

Even though it was written more than 30 years ago, this is still a pretty good medieval romance. Ms. Krahn writes very descriptive, historically accurate prose which will really make you feel as though you’re back in medieval France. And yes… with a barbarian. For the time period, Saxxe was an exceptionally decent fellow. And he’s a lot nicer than many of the so-called ‘alpha’ males I’ve read in ‘bad boy’ contemporary romances. Bear that in mind before you get irritated with his bossy, know-it-all behaviour.

The only thing that bothered me was the hidden kingdom of ‘Mercia’ located somewhere in Brittany, with some frankly weird laws about inheritance. Mercia was a real place - in England, so I definitely got confused when they got there on horseback from Nantes in France. And the whole thing about being married after spending seven nights together is very pagan in a supposedly Christian kingdom.

Overall, I’d give this three stars. I’d rather read Betina Krahn’s current writing, and this looks like an attempt by her publisher to cash in on her older works.

This is a fair and honest review, as promised, in return for being allowed this ARC. What an absolutely delightfully different tale. The story and characters are so very unique. Fantastic read. I thoroughly recommend it.

Three Nights with the Princess is full of bravery in our hero, a somewhat spoiled princess and lots of intrigue. Thera and Saxxe are so very different, yet so very suited. Thera is definitely a product of her preparation for ruling a country. Saxxe may be a mercenary, but he has definite morals and ethics that will not allow him to walk away from her.

The duc who continues to follow them causes no end of problems. As Thera and Saxxe come to know each other and truly adjust to who she is and who he is, the duc keeps coming. These two win their HEA through some hard fought battles that reveal who each really is and who they want to be.

The secondary romance between Gasquar and Lillith add depth to the romantic tale as each head to the HEA. All in all, this is a charming, sometimes too lengthy book, but full of fascination.

Good book, though I wasn't too sure at the beginning. Thera is the Crown Princess of a tiny, isolated country. She has been trained to run her country since the deaths of her parents when she was a small child. She is fiercely devoted to her people and sees no need to marry, but her country's laws require that she must do so before she can be Queen. She has dragged her heels for as long as she could but now finds herself looking outside her home country for a man to wed. Horrified by the what she sees, Thera flees into the streets just as a group of barbarian mercenaries arrives to create chaos. She is fortunate to be rescued by another mercenary, who is intent on profiting from his good deed.

Saxxe has been a mercenary for many years. He's currently between jobs and complaining to his friend, Gasquar, about the problems of getting employers to pay what they owe. He's tired of it all and wants nothing more than to find a place where he can settle down to a normal life. When he sees Thera in the hands of six drunken barbarians, he tries to ignore her distress. Unfortunately for him, he can't do it and wades in to free her. She isn't particularly grateful, and there are words exchanged before she gets away from him. But that isn't the last he sees of her, as he ends up rescuing her and her companion again as they try to escape the city.

My initial impression of Thera was not a good one. She was impulsive and didn't think through the consequences of her actions. Her lack of gratitude toward Saxxe irritated me. As I got to see more of her, I realized that she was more a product of her upbringing in a place that was so idyllic that she had no idea what to do when she encountered trouble. When threatened, or confused, or feeling out of her depth, she gets very regal and officious.

I mostly liked Saxxe from the start. He's a mercenary but seems to be one who has some scruples. He could have walked away and left Thera, but the better part of him wouldn't let him. He's a bit obnoxious the second time he saves Thera, going on about needing payment for what he's done, especially when he tweaks her about wanting her in his bed.

I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Saxxe and Thera. The sparks between them are undeniable and their interactions are fun to see. I especially enjoyed the scenes after they got caught in the flood. Thera's stubborn determination as she dealt with the rabbit, and her refusal to give in to Saxxe's demands were terrific, and she earned her satisfaction at doing it. Saxxe's smug attitude went a long way toward motivating her. I liked seeing him lose some of that smugness and gain some admiration for her. Once they reach Mercia, things between them change. He sees her in a new light, as the leader of her people and how much they mean to her. He also finds out about one of their traditions that has him on the fast track to becoming Thera's husband. The differences in their lives are glaringly obvious and Saxxe realizes he needs to make some changes. As he gets to know the people of Mercia, Thera begins to see that there is more to Saxxe than she had suspected. Her growing feelings for him scare her, but she can't deny them. I also liked seeing the changes that Saxxe made to himself as he strove to be what Thera needed. He also became very adept at seeing when she was overwhelmed and helping her work through it. I liked seeing Thera learn that it was okay to lean on someone else and accept help when she needed it.

While all this was going on, there was also danger stalking Thera. She had been seen and coveted by a duc who has no problem taking what he wants when he wants. His determination to find Thera only increased when he found out who she is and where she lives. Saxxe's protectiveness toward Thera and the people of Mercia was clear as he tried to help the peaceful residents prepare to defend their home. I was on the edge of my seat during Thera's capture and escape and loved how she drew on her newfound confidence to pull that off. The tension did not diminish as the duc was still out there and I waited for what would happen. When it did, I was glued to the pages until it was all done, rooting for the Mercians. It was an exciting and satisfying conclusion.

There was also a secondary story involving Saxxe's friend Gasquar and Thera's friend Lillith. Like Saxxe and Thera, they were very different personalities. Gasquar is fun-loving and lighthearted most of the time. I loved his outrageous stories and the fun he had using them to annoy Lillith. She is a very serious person, intent on doing her job for Thera and doing it well. Underneath it all, there were sparks of attraction. There were several really fun scenes between the two of them as the feelings between them grew.

This is a reissuance of a 1993 novel, with a name change from the Princess and the Barbarian. I am not sure why, but maybe it sounds less like a Bodice Ripper with the new one? And it is not a Bodice Ripper, as a point of clarification. There are threats to the heroine, but the hero rescues her before the worst can occur. Saxxe, the hero, is a former crusader who has became a knight for hire upon his return, along with his friend. The heroine is a princess, Thera, who is ruler of a small kingdom, Mercia. The story takes place in 1262. I thought this novel had very good character development, but it was less convincing on the historical and geographical accuracy front.

The story starts in Nantes, a real city still in existence in France, in the Brittany region. A good chunk of the novel takes place traveling from Nantes to Mercia. I would not consider myself an expert on medieval history in any sense of the word, but I do have typing ability and an internet connections and, when I found myself questioning Mercia’s place in history, I looked it up. The Mercia from medieval times was in England and ended a good 300 years before this novel begins. So that was confusing to me in terms of where this novel was located, because I thought they ended up in England. But, since there was no boat travel, it must have been France still. From Nantes, they traveled North by Northwest to the hidden-in-the-mountains Kingdom that no one seems to know about. I looked up this too. Could a castle be hidden in the mountains in this region without anyone’s knowledge? It seems VERY unlikely from what I can tell. Then, when they reach Mercia, it suddenly clicked for me. This is the book the movie Shrek was based on, must have. The hero was very Shrek-like because he big and did not practice polite manners. The heroine was like Princess Fiona with her refined ways and spoiled attitude. But what really made it seem like Shrek was Mercia, which was just like Duloc with its orderly ways.

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While I thought the setting of the book didn’t quite add up, I did think the period details on dress, attitudes and information on the crusade well done. The pace was at times slow, but the main characters were very well drawn. They were certainly multi-faceted. I thought they complemented each other well and were both able to provide something the other needed. There was also a secondary romance between the heroine’s companion and the hero’s friend. The villain was very evil, spared no thought for raping and pillaging anything in his path.

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While he was awful, I did think the resolution with the villain was too quickly resolved, especially considering the buildup. Overall, as seems to be the case nearly every time I venture into reading old school historical romances, this was an uneven read for me. Some high points, but some decidedly low ones as well.

* I received an ARC for this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Three Nights with the Princess by Betina Krahn is an enjoyable story. This is a story with the main characters Thera and Saxxe. Their story holds a complicated relationship, full of trust issues, compromises, and misunderstandings. A story about a Princess and a hired sword in Medieval times. It was a heavy mix of history, beliefs, a bit of humor, and many battles. It held intrigue with her being followed by an evil man and his dark army. Can Saxxe win her love and save her homeland? Read the story and find out how this will end. I recommend this story if you love medieval stories with sword battles, and some romance added.

Crown Princess Thera of Mercia needs to marry to become queen. While traveling, she’s placed in a perilous situation. Strongly independent, she thinks she doesn’t need rescuing. But Saxxe Rouen, warrior for hire, comes to her rescue anyway, and looks for payment afterward. He wants a night of pleasure from Thera. Will Thera give him what he desires, and risk her heart?
This historical romance started off bad, and never got better. More action was needed to make it interesting. I fell asleep twice reading because it was so dull and boring. Thera came off as spoiled and elitist. I did not like her as a character. I also felt no real connection between the hero and the heroine. Oftentimes, Thera would complain that Saxxe acted like a pig and had no redeeming qualities. I have read stories from this author before, but was highly disappointed with this novel. I received an Advanced Reader Copy of this book from the publisher and am voluntarily reviewing it.

I loved Thera and Saxxe’s story, it has it all, chemistry, romance, action, danger, intense moments, lots of sizzle. This is a standalone HEA love story.
This well written story captured me from the beginning and didn’t let me go; I couldn’t put it down. The author has the ability to place you in the story to feel and see what the characters are feeling and seeing. Both the hero and heroine are strong and lovable, the supporting characters are interesting and add layers to the story. The whole book is well fleshed out with a fast-moving action filled plot.
Sexy and Entertaining!
I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for my honest opinion.

I received an advance readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

This one is old-school – for real it's a reprint from 1993. I started reading these kind of books around that time and I'd forgotten how, well, intense they can be . Not for the faint of heart . Unless you know what you're getting with old-school romances, stick to the new or risk a heart attack

I really liked this so much, you can definitely see this is not a modern book, and I wasn’t that keen on how self serving Saxxe was at the beginning. In general terms I feel most reviewers always castigate the heroine for her behaviour and characteristics, but let the hero off for shitty behaviour, insults and physical coercion. My ambivalence towards Saxxe early on was because of the way he felt he should have a reward for saving Thera, how he skewered her to the door, how he tried to humiliate her. That said this is a medieval and it was a horrible time for women, so I feel that Krahn pulls this off well, without making me feel like it was unrelenting misery - this is a romance after all.

I disagree with people who say that Thera is obnoxious- she is a princess who has lived in an idyllic and ordered existence, thrown into a situation she has no experience of, and treated horribly by all the men she encounters, unsurprising that she falls back on her position and nobility. You can see that when she is back in Mercia she softens and puts up with teasing and insults from her elders and lots of crappy behaviour from Saxxe. She is the ruler, why didn’t he talk to her about what he wanted to do BEFORE he did it, not after.

Despite my personal feelings about Saxxe’s behaviour at times I thought the romance between them was beautifully done, and didn’t make me feel like it was all about Thera submitting to Saxxe, but them both having to compromise, although I think he still got the better deal!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.